Milwaukee man accused; police chases with 2 police departments
Ivan Gonzalez
MILWAUKEE - A 21-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of driving drunk and leading two different police departments on chases on Sunday, July 2. The accused is Ivan Gonzalez – and he faces the following criminal counts:
- Flee or elude an officer
- Second-degree recklessly endangering safety (two counts)
- Vehicle operator flee/elude officer causing damage to property
- Operating motor vehicle while under the influence-2nd offense)
- Failure to install ignition interlock device
- Operate motor vehicle while revoked
According to the criminal complaint, a Greenfield police officer early on Sunday, July 2 spotted a car speeding 70 mph in a posted 25 mph zone on W. Forest Home Avenue. The officer activated his lights and siren to conduct a traffic stop. The car "increased its speed to 94 mph and passed a vehicle on South 68th Street. (The officer) terminated the vehicle pursuit) after the car passed multiple pedestrians outside bars exceeding 80 mph, the complaint says. In total, the car "passed over two sets of stop sticks in a 2.4 mile pursuit that reached speeds of 102 mph," the complaint says.
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Later, a West Allis police spotted the car involved in the Greenfield police chase, got behind the vehicle, and activated his lights and siren to conduct a traffic stop. However, the complaint says the defendant increased the car's speed. Another officer joined the pursuit and saw Gonzalez "drive into several stop sticks at speeds of 61 mph," the complaint says. The officer noted one of the car's tires had fallen off from the spike strips.
The complaint says Gonzalez "accelerated his vehicle's speed to 85 mph and then turned off all of its lights." Moments later, he sideswiped another car -- and got onto I-94 reaching speeds of 100 mph with sparks flying off the back. West Allis police terminated its pursuit.
According to the complaint, the speeding car was registered to Gonzalez's mother. When the defendant arrived at his mother's residents, the defendant "admitted he drove the car to a bar" after a wedding," the complaint says. In an interview with police, Gonzalez "stated 'I was in the pursuit' and saw the police officer activate his lights. However, Mr. Gonzalez was scared to get in contact with the police because he was not supposed to drive after an OWI conviction. Mr. Gonzalez admitted he drank Palomas prior to driving," the complaint says.
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Gonzalez made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Friday, July 7. Cash bond was set at $4,000.